Meet the Review Board

We have assembled a diverse group of business leaders, each who has extensive experience in working with leading, early stage growth companies and providing feedback, mentorship and resources that have led to success.

This esteemed group of business leaders will select the winner of the Minnesota Cup after reviewing the many plans we receive and listening to the five finalists present their ideas.

Grand Prize Review Board at 2011 Final Awards Event (Credit: Craig Bares for Twin Cities Business)

Minnesota Cup l Clean Technology & Renewable Energy

• Todd Taylor – Clean Technology Attorney and Advisor, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
• John Dolan – Clean Technology Attorney and Advisor, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
• Debra Sundin – Director, DSM & Renewable Strategy and Planning, Xcel Energy
• Don Shelby – Broadcaster and Journalist Focused on Sustainable Energy and Climate Change, BringMeTheNews.com
• Doug Cameron – Co-President & Director, First Green Partners
• James Schmidt – Chair of Renewable Energy Committee and Partner, Eide Bailly LLP
• Dan Lieberman – Co-owner, Lieberman Companies Inc.
• Todd Leonard – Executive Director, Minnesota Angel Network
• Dr. Massoud Amin – Director, Technological Leadership Institute, University of Minnesota
• Rod Larkins – Associate Director, Institute for Renewable Energy & Environment, University of Minnesota

Minnesota Cup l BioSciences

• Ryan Johnson – Attorney and Advisor, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
• Dan Mallin – Co-founder, Minnesota Cup & Managing Partner, Magnet 360
• Jeremy Lenz – COO, The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota
• Stephen Parente – Professor, Department of Finance, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
• Beth Leonard – Partner, Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP
• Serafin Samson – Venture Partner, Affinity Capital Management
• Jay Schrankler – Executive Director, Office for Technology Commercialization, University of Minnesota
• Tim Laske – Senior Product Development Director, Ph.D., Medtronic, Inc.
• Liem Nguyen – Director, Emerging Businesses Group, UnitedHealth Group 
• Jacki Jenuth – Principal, Lumira Capital

Minnesota Cup l Social Entrepreneur

• Judy Alnes – Executive Director. MAP for Nonprofits
• Terri Barrerio – Director, Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship, St. John’s University
• Laura Zabel – Executive Director, Springboard for the Arts and 2010 Social Entrepreneurs Cup winner
• Trista Harris – Executive Director, Headwaters Foundation for Social Justice
• Sean Kershaw – President, Citizens League
• Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas – Foundation Manager, Social Responsibility, The Mosaic Company
• Connie Rutledge – Associate Director of the Carlson Ventures Enterprise, University of Minnesota
• Melissa Middleton Stone – Director, Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center, Humphrey Institute
• Jeff Tollefson – Executive Director, Genesys Works
• Ben Aase – Managing Consultant, LarsonAllen Nonprofit and Government Group

Minnesota Cup l High Tech

• Scott Litman – Co-founder, Minnesota Cup & Managing Partner, Magnet 360
• Marti Nyman – Director, Emerging Businesses Group, UnitedHealth Group
• Doug Ramler – Principal Co-Chair Entrepreneurial Services Group, Gray Plant Mooty Law Firm
• Tom Donnelly – President & Chief Operating Officer, Digital River
• Marc Usem – Principal/Portfolio Mgr., Usem Bergstrand Capital Management, LLC
• Dan Grigsby – Founding Partner, Drivetrain
• Joy Lindsay – President and Co-Founder StarTec Investments, LLC
• Sam Richter – Chief Executive of SBR Worldwide and SVP/Chief Marketing Officer at ActiFi
• Sima Griffith – Founder, Aethlon Capital
• Michael Gorman – Managing Director, Split Rock Partners
• Joel Lebewitz – Partner, Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP

Minnesota Cup l General

• Brad Lehrman – Attorney at Law, Soffer Charbonnet Law Group
• Fred Haberman – President, Haberman & Associates
• Ed Zabinski – Senior Vice President, Grand Rapids State Bank
• Thom Sandberg – Founder The Kenyon Consortium
• Art Fry – 3M Corporate Scientist (Retired ), Inventor of Post-It Notes
• William Dietrick – VP of Marketing, Proto Labs, Inc.
• Brian Turner – Cities 97 Radio Personality
• Dan Young – Co-Chair, Business Law Group, Lommen Abdo
  
• Jeffrey Robbins – Partner, Entrepreneurial Services Practice Group, Messerli & Kramer

Minnesota Cup l Student

• Mary Alton – Director, University of Minnesota Multi-Profession Business Law Clinic
• Elaine Hansen – Regional Director, NE MN Small Business Development Center and Director, UMD Center for Economic Development
• Franz Hofmeister – Founder, Brands Across America and President/CEO, Quaker Bakery Brands
• Brian Clark – Sr. Director, Innovation and Business Development, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement
• Jeremy Lenz – COO, The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota
• Edward Bolton – VP of Culture, Proto Labs, Inc.
• Lloyd Sigel – Founder, Lloyd's Barbeque Co.
• Jordan Fineberg – Global Business Manager - 3M Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems
• Dick Vogen – Founder of Vocam
• Brian Gustafson – Senior Director, Portfolio Management, Tonkawa
• Steve Klick – Serial Entrepreneur

Minnesota Cup l Grand Prize Review Board

• Dave Cleveland – Co-founder, Riverside Bank
• Leslie Frecon – CEO, LFE Capital
• Art Fry – 3M Corporate Scientist (Retired ), Inventor of Post-It Notes
• Skip Gage – Chairman and CEO, Gage Marketing Group
• Morris Goodwin – Chief Administrative Director, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
• Michael Gorman – Managing Director, Split Rock Partners
• Sima Griffith – Founder, Aethlon Capital
• Fred Haberman – President, Haberman & Associates
• Brad Cleveland – President and CEO of Proto Labs, Inc.
• Gary Holmes – President and Owner of CSM Corporation
• Joel Lebewitz – Partner, Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP
• Joy Lindsay – President and Co-Founder StarTec Investments, LLC
• Scott Litman – Co-founder, Minnesota Cup & Managing Director, Magnet 360
• Dan Mallin – Co-founder, Minnesota Cup & Managing Director, Magnet 360
• Mark Phillips – Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
• Jim D'Aquila – Managing Director, Imperial Capital
• Todd Johnson – CEO, Reuben Johnson & Son, Inc. & Affiliated Companies
• Dan Carr – CEO, The Collaborative
• Shawn McIntee – Partner, Maslon
• Shelly Elmore – Publisher of Twin Cities Business
• Jeff Kemink – Senior Vice President & Area Business Banking Manager, South Metro, Southern Minnesota, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
• Thom Sandberg – Founder The Kenyon Consortium
• Debra Sundin – Director, DSM & Renewable Strategy and Planning, Xcel Energy
• Todd Taylor – Clean Technology Attorney and Advisor, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
• Ryan Johnson – Attorney and Advisor, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
• Doug Ramler – Principal Co-Chair Entrepreneurial Services Group, Gray Plant Mooty Law Firm
• Jeffrey Robbins – Partner, Entrepreneurial Services Practice Group, Messerli & Kramer
• Brad Lehrman – Attorney at Law, Soffer Charbonnet Law Group 
• Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas – Foundation Manager, Social Responsibility, The Mosaic Company
• Kate Barr – Executive Director, Nonprofits Assistance Fund
• Jeff Tollefson – Executive Director, Genesys Works
• Dale Wahlstrom – President & CEO, LifeScience Alley